Apple Pecan Breakfast Cookies

Today I’m going to do something I never thought I would ever do. I never had the interest, never had the drive to do it. Never wanted to spend the money on it. Not to mention the sheer fear of it all.

Know what I’m talking about?

JUICING. That’s right, I have a juicer now. And y’all are probably exhaling from that crazy build up and wondering why you’re still reading.

BUT WAIT!!! I can’t really speak to it yet – I just wanted to keep you guys updated on life. I’m thinking of starting off with this recipe, but I’m always open to suggestions – as long as they’re friendly on the wallet 😉 Although I also have a question: for those of you who juice at home, what do you do with the leftover pieces of produce after they’ve gone through the juicer? I’m SO not into the crackers and muffins I’ve seen people make out of them, but I was thinking of starting a compost pile with them? Thoughts?

However, this morning I’m starting the day off with one of these delicious cookies, and I have to admit I’m pretty stoked about it. The apples and the pecans go perfectly together, and I’m kind of in love with the texture. Plus they’re basically health food – which means more cookies for us, right?

And this whole juicing thing? Well, let’s just say if it doesn’t work out I can just drown my sorrows in breakfast cookies and milk and still feel good about myself. I think that’s what we call a win-win!

APPLE PECAN BREAKFAST COOKIES

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (I’ve also used the same amount of mashed banana)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 whole egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup whole old-fashioned rolled oats

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup shredded fresh apple (whichever apple you prefer or have on hand)

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl whisk together the applesauce, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in the whole wheat flour, oats, honey, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. The mixture will be very thick, but that’s OK! Gently fold in the fresh shredded apples and pecans until everything is well combined. Using an ice cream scoop (about 1/4 cup) scoop the cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat and gently flatten the tops. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until the bottoms are golden. Let cool slightly before eating!

These sound really really really good! I am excited to try them because I’ve only ever found breakfast cookie recipes that use banana. I do love bananas, but could do with something different every now and then! They sound ridiculously easy too!